Improvement in harvester-rakes



WILLIAM N. ,WHITELEY,

OFFICE.

or srnmerrnnn, 01110.

lMlROVEMENT IN HARVESTER-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 172,810, dated January 25, 1876; application filed November 10, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM N. WHITELEY, of Springfield, Clarke county, in the State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Harvester-Rakes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein-- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention, the parts being in operative positions. Fig. 2 is a central section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Figs. 4 and 5 are perspectives, representing the action of the switch and friction roller.

My invention relates to the latch which holds the switch open, whereby the path of the rake is changed from the lower to the upper camway and the removal of the cut grain is prevented; and it consists in the construction of said switch, substantially in the form and manner hereinafter fully shown and described.

That others may fully understand myinvention, I will first describe briefly theconstruction of the cam and switch and the operation of the latter.

The cam or guide way it is cast in one piece, and is adjusted to secure the proper stroke of the rake and reel boaters as they descend into the standing grain in front of the cutters.

At the top of the revolving shaft 41 there is mounted the head (1, to which the rake and reel arm heads 6, are pivoted by joint-bolts.

The rake-arm heads 0 are provided with friction-rollers h, which traverse the cam w, and guide the rake and reel heaters in their proper course.

The cam w is provided with two tracks on the side toward the platform, and a switch, j, to turn the roller h from the lower to the higher of said tracks, when it is not desirable that the gavel should be removed.

The beater then passes above the cut grain on the platform.

When said switch. is open, the roller 71. passes under it and along the lower trackway,

j to the single portion of the camway to bebind the platform.

When the roller h traverses the camway below the switch j, an inclined portion of the camway w causes the said roller to pass under the bridge is, which rises up to permit said roller to pass, and said bridge being mounted with a hinge-joint upon the same stud with the switch j, the latter is forced to close as the bridge rises, and it is caught and held in that position by a bell-crank latch, m, which is pivoted to the inner surface of the camway, and may be tripped automatically by a pin, a, set in the revolving head d, or it may be tripped at will by the driver, by means of the latch chain or cord 0, which extends forward to a foot-crank conveniently located on the front of the mainframe, or on the drivers foot-board. I

' The latch m is angular or bell-crank shaped, and is secured to the inner surface of the cam w by a pivot-pin, which passes through said g, on the end of the switch j, and holds the said switch down, as shown in Fig. 1.

' The other branch of the latch m extends forward horizontally from its pivot-pin, and is provided on its upper or'outer side with a groove, t, along which the pin n traverses at each revolution of the head d, and when so traversed this end of the latch is thereby depressed, and the detent-rib n is caused. to move backward and swing away from the toe q, and the switch is liberated and immediately raised by its spring a.

When the switch is again depressed, the toe q engages with the side of the rib n, and

the latch-lever yields to let said too pass below the rib and be detained by it.

The central part of the latch m is chambered around the pivot'pin, as shown in Fig. 1, and a notch is out in the side of said chamber.

A spring-wire is placed within said chamber,-

around the pivot-pin. The two ends of said spring project through said notch, one end bearing against said notch, and the other end bearing against a small stud, '0'. Said spring on its under side, and the groove t on its up thereby serves as a, retracting-spring for the latch m, to keep it always in operative condition.

Having described my invention, What I claim as new is- The bell-crank latch m, constructed as described, and provided with the detent-rib 02' per side, combined with the switch j, trip-pin n, and cord or chain 0.

WILLIAM N. WHITELEY.

Witnesses:

R. D. 0. SMITH, F. B. TOWNSEND. 

